Millionaire development 'has top broadband speed of just ten Mbps'

Published: 22nd Jun 2016

Some of the UK's most exclusive housing developments are having to rely on slow broadband speeds well below the national average.

This is according to a new report from the Guardian, which said residents of the One Hyde Park complex in London can only receive a top speed of ten Mbps - the national average according to Ofcom is 18 Mbps.

The development has this low level of connectivity despite the fact the average property at the site costs £22 million.

According to the newspaper, these slows speeds are due to the fact the exclusive complex is connected to the web through basic copper cabling.

Radenko Milakovic, a resident of similarly-expensive London development The Knightsbridge, told the Guardian that until recently he was only able to access a top connection speed of eight Mbps.

"Internet today is a bit like having water or electricity … One should have access to the best infrastructure, particularly if you are in central London, whether you are in Brick Lane or Knightsbridge. Fast, uninterrupted and reliable internet should be available to everyone," he stated.

Negotiations are ongoing for BT to provide an improved service at One Hyde Park, but this is not the only exclusive London development to be suffering with this problem.

Harvey Wolfinger, who lives at the Albion Riverside complex in Battersea, said his connection speeds reached just 1.5 Mbps before being improved by a niche internet service provider.

Mr Wolfinger told the Guardian that prior to this upgrade taking place he was better connected at his other home in the Scottish Highlands, where satellite broadband provides speeds of 20 Mbps.

"In real terms we were better off in the Highlands of Scotland, in the remote munros, than we were in London," he stated.

The Guardian's report on this issue follows the news that a campaign has been formed to bring faster broadband to residential properties in Manchester city centre, where connections are currently slow and unreliable.